Most window coverings classified as shades or blinds have horizontally-oriented segments or panels spaced from one another along the length of the window covering. In the case of Roman shades, they may be progressively raised and lowered and when raised, the segments or panels overlap one another. The panels can be made from various materials to include plastic, metal or wood that maintains the linear horizontal orientation when the shade is raised and lowered.
It is also typical to control the opening and closing of a window covering by the use of operating cords or drawstrings, in which the string or cords are exposed to allow a user to easily grasp the cords and to allow the strings or cords to operate without interference.
One safety concern with window coverings is the presence of the exposed cords which pose a hazard for children. Unfortunately many children have been seriously injured or have died from strangulation caused by a child becoming entangled within the operating cords of the window covering. Over time, certain safety standards have been developed to help prevent such occurrences.
One solution for providing safety for exposed pull cords on a window covering such as drapes has been the use of a cord tension pulley in which the exposed operating cords must be mounted to a fixed station such as the adjacent wall. The cords must maintain a specified tension in the cord tension pulley, or the pull cords cannot operate the window covering. Although a cord tension pulley may provide increased safety for pull cords, there are still a number of operating cords that are disposed within the window covering and that can pose a hazard for children.
Therefore, it is one object of the present invention to provide a protective covering over the cords which prevents a child from wrapping the cord around the child's body, and otherwise prevents the cord from being separated in any manner that would allow the cord to pose a hazard. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to adopt the protective covering over the operating cords in a manner that does not interfere with smooth operation of the cords and further, provides this protective feature without substantially increasing the complexity of the window covering. It is yet another object of the invention to provide the safety feature in an economical solution, and one which does not detract from the aesthetic value of the window covering.